On the Wrightside

It's understood it will be replaced by a 3G pitch suitable for multi-purpose sports.

An alternative venue is expected to found for the students, while those clubs who use it in the evenings for Reading Midweek Cricket League fixtures will also have to go elsewhere.

Reading students didn't exactly do well in some of their matches at the Sports Park last year, being skittled out for 75 by University of Chichester 2nds and 88 by St Mary's University College in two heavy defeats, before going down to Eastbourne to score 226 and beat University of Brighton by 90 runs.

On the sports front, Reading Uni is not going through the best of times.

As this column revealed a couple of weeks ago, their men's hockey section has been suspended by the top brass following a number of non-hockey related incidents involving students.

This led to them withdrawing from the MBBO League and being forced to scratch fixtures from the British Universities and Colleges Sport's South B League, which will see them finish in the relegation zone.

They have won two of their nine matches, but have been deducted points and now find themselves on minus three.

The Uni women's team are also facing relegation after managing only one point in nine games.

Their last two games saw them crash 8-0 at Cardiff Met and go down 4-1 at home to King's College.

READING U23s have been drawn away for the third successive round in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup.

They will visit Maidenhead United, who beat Aylesbury United 2-1 in their third-round tie last week.

The Magpies are currently 16th in the National League, but fourth on current form covering the last six games.

In the other semi, Bostik League South Central Division side Marlow, managed by former Reading Town team boss Mark Bartley, will be home to Slough Town from National League South.

Dates for both ties have yet to be confirmed.

Thanks in no small way to Reading FC's involvement, it looks the strongest Senior Cup last four line-up for many years.